Test Your Culinary Knowledge

I took this quiz in my local paper today. I was actually surprised.

First, I was suprised that I had to answer almost every question with a guess. There were only a couple of them that I knew off the top of my head. Heck, I had never even heard of most of these items.

Second, I was surprised at how well I was able to guess the correct answers. I still got more wrong than I got right, but it was interesting to see how the words themselves provided clues to the meanings. I guess my fifth grade Latin instructor would be feeling vindicated right about now.

Take the quiz and let me know how you did. Maybe you'll be more familiar with these items than I was!

Note: There might be more than one correct answer. (But, really that's is only true for one of these.)

1. We had a great recipe using Kurobuta. What is Kurobuta?

A. A Japanese vegetable that looks like a long green gourd, but has a plum-like aroma.
B. A pink sea salt from Hawaii that has been linked to spot weight loss.
C. An heirloom pig described as having heightened "porkiness."

2. A caller wanted to know about verdulagas. She said she enjoyed the taste when she was a child. What is it and where can she buy some?

A. It's hard green candy, shaped like leaves and flavored with mint extract. It is available at stores that specialize in imported confections.
B. Also called purslane, these lemony greens are often lightly sauteed and scrambled with eggs. Generally, it's not availabe commercially.
C. The name means "little worms" in Italian. It's pasta that can be found in Italian markets or ordered online.

3. What is muscovado, and can I put it on toast?

A. Muscovado is the delicious fat that is slowly rendered from Muscovy duck legs. It is incredible when used to fry potatoes, or it can be thinly spread on toasted baguette slices.
B. Muscovado is a raw sugar. It's very dark brown with a strong molasses flavor. It would be lovely sprinkled on buttered bread toast along with a little ground cinnamon.
C. It is a warm mixture of melted chocolate, soymilk and sugar. It is scrumptious on toast.

4. Reposada: Should I chew it, drink it, or grind it?

A. Reposada is tequila that is aged up to one year. Drink it.
B. Reposada is a coffee that is grown in central Mexico. Grind it, brew it and drink it.
C. Reposada is a Hispanic cheese with a creamy texture and delicate flavor. It is best eaten before it becomes overripe and stinky.

5. What is kufta?

A. A combination of lamb and beef formed into hot-dog shapes, then grilled. Often served with pita bread and hummus.
B. A Moroccan stew made of lamb, potatoes and sweet peppers that is made in a special ceramic casserole.
C. Kufta is the toast made at Norwegian weddings and baptisms. Also, it's slang for "I'm bored, and I've had enough of this."

6. What is a sidecar?

A. Chef's slang for a thin rod used for sharpening knives.
B. A special warming dish often used to keep cooked foods warm.
C. A cocktail most often made with brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice.

7. What is ong choy and is it good with rice?

A. Ong choy is a Mandarin dish that combines rice noodles with sauteed chicken and water chestnuts. Because it is a noodle-based dish, it isn't served with rice.
B. Ong choy (rau muong in Vietnamese), also called water spinach is a green vegetable with long pointed leaves. It can be quickly sauteed with a little oil and minced garlic, and is often served with rice.
C. Served with or without rice, this is just another name for Napa cabbage.

8. What is cold duck?

A. A pink sparkling wine, usually a mixture of Champagne, sparkling Burgundy and sugar.
B. Refrigerated roast duck.
C. Someone who won't kiss on the first date.

9. What is Carmenere? (There should be a little dash over the second E.)

A. A casserole that features white beans, sausage and herbs, and is often topped with toasted bread crumbs.
B. Often called Bordeaux's sixth grape, this red varietal combines well with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
C. A French cheese shaped like a Renault sedan.

10. What is muhammara (moo-HALM-mer-ah)?

A. It's a spread made with roasted red bell pepper, walnuts, pomegranate and molasses.
B. It's a pungent, wine-based punch that is usually garnished with sliced fresh fruit.
C. A specialty of New Orleans, this hero-style sandwich originated in 1906 at the Central Grocery.

11. Dr. Jim Duke, a medical botanist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 30 years and author of "The Herbal Pharmacy" (St. Martins Press, $7.99, paperback), contends that cinnamon can:

A. Fight colds, coughs and fevers, as well as relieve gas and indigestion, stimulate circulation and ease allergies.
B. Fight formation of plaque on teeth and prevent insomnia.
C. Be lovely sprinkled on grapefruit wedges.

12. What is Aleppo?

A. It's a sun-dried pepper from Syria that is coarsely ground. It has a mild heat.
B. It's a culinary device used for finely grating ingredients.
C. It's a thick molasses made from pomegranate juice. It is wonderful used to marinate lamb.

13. Jeroboam, my jeroboam. Are you different from a nebuchadnezzar?

A. There are biblical terms and have no place in a quiz about wine and food.
B. These handcrafted cheeses are sold online. One is like a dry ricotta, the other is a white cheddar-style cheese.
C. A jeroboam is a large wine bottle; in Champagne it's three liters (four standard bottles), in Bordeaux it's 4.5 liters (six standard bottles). A nebuchadnezzar is a big, big boy. It's a wine bottle that holds 15 liters, or 20 standard bottles.

That's it! Answer are below...

Answers to the quiz:

1. C
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. A and B
9. B
10. A
11. A
12. A
13. C

Hope you had fun...and if you know a foodie who needs to be stumped, send them my way!